Crushing Defeat As Saints Are Walked-Off In 5-3 Loss To Winnipeg

ST. PAUL, MNJuly 18, 2017

The pitching match-up lived up lived up to the hype as two All-Stars, Winnipeg Goldeyes lefty Kevin McGovern battled St. Paul Saints right-hander Mark Hamburger, went toe-to-toe. Only Hamburger was around until the end, but Wes Darvill delivered the knockout blow with a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-3 loss on Tuesday night at Shaw Park. The loss dropped the Saints to 31-26 and 2.0 games out of first place.

Hamburger had retired 12 in a row and had not allowed a hit since the third as he took the mound in the bottom of ninth with the Saints leading 3-1. Josh Romanski had an impressive first at bat and on the ninth pitch he singled to right just past a diving Tony Thomas at second. Reggie Abercrombie then hit a fly ball to medium left-center field, but neither left fielder Anthony Gallas nor Kes Carter could get to it to make the catch and the Goldeyes had runners at first and second with nobody out. On the very next pitch Shawn Pleffner singled to right scoring Romanski, to make it 3-2, as Abercrombie took third. Hamburger got the first out of the inning by striking out David Bergin. On the very first pitch to Wes Darvill, however, he hit a hanging breaking ball over the right field wall for the walk-off three-run homer, his third of the season, to send the Saints to their fourth straight loss. Hamburger earned the complete game going 8.1 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits while walking two and striking out six. It was his first loss since May 28.

The Goldeyes managed just three hits off of Hamburger prior to the ninth and two of them came in the second. Abercrombie led off by bouncing a single up the middle into centerfield. With one out David Bergin ripped a single into left putting runners at first and second. Darvill followed with a grounder to first, but Brady Shoemaker’s throw to second was low and went into left field allowing Abercrombie to score putting the Goldeyes up 1-0. The only other hit Hamburger allowed before the ninth was an infield single to Andrew Sohn in the third.

Goldeyes starter Kevin McGovern was equally as tough and he allowed just one hit through the first three innings. With one out in the fourth Anthony Gallas tripled to center. Nate Hanson followed that with an RBI double to tie the game at one.

McGovern did not allow another hit until the seventh when Thomas roped a double to left. Kes Carter sacrificed him to third and Maxx Garrett was intentionally walked. McGovern struck out Jon Kristoffersen, but Ben Buerkle came through with his first professional RBI, a single to right field scoring Thomas and giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. McGovern went 7.0 innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out four.

In the eighth the Saints added an insurance run on a solo homer from Gallas, his 14th of the season, but it proved not to be enough.

The same two teams meet Wednesday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the finale of the three game series at Shaw Park. The Saints send RHP Robert Coe (0-0, 6.14) to the mound against Goldeyes LHP Zach Dodson (4-3, 5.43). The game can be heard on Club 1220 KLBB.